Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20130331.htm

THE PRISON EPISTLES: NURTURE FOR OPPRESSED BELIEVERS
I. Ephesians: Nurture In Living Focused On God's Eternal Purpose For Christians
A. Nurture In Focusing On The Believer's Election And Sealing In Christ, Ephesians 1:1-23
4. Nurture In Focusing On The Certainty Of The Believer's Heavenly Destiny
(Ephesians 1:15-23)
  1. Introduction
    1. When Paul wrote the "Prison Epistles" of Ephesians, Colossians, Philippians and Philemon in his Roman imprisonment, his status as a prisoner troubled believers, cf. Philippians 1:12-13; Colossians 2:1-2; 4:7-8 and Philemon 22; Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, p. 1672, "Intro. to the Letter of Paul to the Ephesians."
    2. Aware of this need, Paul wrote his Prison Epistles with special focuses that comfort and stabilize his readers, a ministry of nurture applicable for oppressed Christians today.
    3. In Ephesians 1:15-23, we focus on the certainty of our heavenly destiny for nurture against insecurities:
  2. Nurture In Focusing On The Certainty Of The Believer's Heavenly Destiny, Ephesians 1:15-23.
    1. Paul had heard of the Ephesian believers' faith in Christ Jesus and love toward all other believers, so he ceased not to give thanks for them, requesting that God reveal important truths to them, Eph. 1:15-18a.
    2. Those truths comprise three major subjects relative to the believer's absolute certainty of experientially gaining a heavenly destiny through Jesus Christ as follows, Ephesians 1:18b-23:
      1. First, Paul prayed that his readers might know the hope of God's calling (Eph. 1:18b), namely, that their destiny was heaven's glory as explained in Ephesians 1:3-5; Bib. Kno. Com., N. T. , p. 620: Paul wanted them to know of God's electing and so predestining them in Christ one day to be relocated in the rapture to heaven as holy and blameless in His presence in the sphere of love, Eph esians 1:3-4.
      2. Second, Paul prayed that his readers might know the riches of God's inheritance in them who had been bought at great price, explained in Ephesians 1:6-12 (Eph. 1:18c; Ibid.) The believer, being purchased through the price of Messiah's death, and yet to be experientially inherited by God, greatly motivates GOD to get the believer to heaven! Thus the reason for the Ephesians 1:13-14 seal of the Holy Spirit!
      3. Third, Paul prayed that his readers might know the great power God has exerted toward them (Eph. 1:19a) as explained in Ephesians 1:19b-23, power exerted toward attaining the believer's marvelous heavenly destiny (as follows), Ibid., p. 620-621:
        1. God's power in getting the believer to heaven began to be exerted in His raising Jesus from the dead, the One in Whom the believer spiritually has his spiritual life, Ephesians 1:20a; Colossians 3:4: (1) This power accompanied Christ's resurrection with a great earthquake (Matt. 28:2a), (2) with an angel of God rolling back the 1 to 2 ton stone from the entrance to the tomb (Matt. 28:2b; Josh McDowell, A Ready Defense, 1991, p. 233), (3) an angel with glory so brilliant it terrified the highly disciplined Roman guard into trembling in terror and falling down like dead men (Matt. 28:3-4), (4) power that sent the Lord's body through His sticky, binding grave clothes (John 20:6-8 with 19:39) (5) and that gave Jesus a body that could eat and drink like we do, but that felt no pain and could go to heaven, Luke 24:41-43; John 20:27; Acts 1:9-11.
        2. God's power exerted toward getting the believer to heaven seated Jesus at the Father's own right hand (Eph. 1:20b) in heaven: this position placed Jesus (1) far above all godly angels and (2) evil spirit beings (Eph. 1:21a with 6:10-12), (3) far above every dominion of angelic, demonic or human government (Eph. 1:21b), (4) far above every name named in this world and in the world to come (Eph. 1:21c), (5) a position that placed all things in creation, be it inanimate or animate under Christ's feet, under His rule (Eph. 1:22a), (6) and that gave Him to be Head over all things relative to the Church, Eph. 1:22b. (7) Since the Church is the body of Christ, it is thus filled by Jesus in the spiritual realm with blessings in every way, Ephesians 1:23; Ibid., Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 621.
Lesson: God has provided for the believer's sure glorification in heaven, He has highly motivated Himself to get him there in paying a great for the believer and making him His inheritance in heaven as a trophy of His grace, and He is exerting great power to eliminate all roadblocks to get him to heaven as holy, blameless and in the sphere of love in Christ.

Application: May we focus on the absolute certainty of our heavenly destiny to counter insecurity here.